It’s that time of the year again…

Edit: I wrote this article before the Holiday Savers Event Sale began. The sale is now over, but these products are still available, and they’re almost all holiday money-saving sets. Ie. they were already at discounted prices in the first place! I still think that these products are worth it - especially the limited-edition sets.

Sephora’s annual Holiday Savings Event is beginning (or has already begun!) for Insiders, VIBs and Rouge members: if you don’t already know what it is, you can save 10%, 15%, or 20% on every item, depending on the membership you have.

I took a look at everything, especially limited-edition sets for the holidays, and compiled what I find the most enticing, and also the best deals. Bear in mind, Sephora is pricey, and I want to stress that these products are not necessarily cheap now, but some of these deals are just simply unmatched in the rest of the year… so if you’re gonna give one of these products a go in your lifetime, now is your moment.

Hair

Save money on these cult-classics:

Olaplex Holiday Hair Fix Kit (Limited Edition)

You’re sure to have heard of Olaplex before in the hair salon, from a friend, or online. This kit contains Olaplex No. 3, 4, 5, and 6 — the hair mask, the shampoo and conditioner, and the leave-in hair cream. The products are valued at $84 altogether, but this kit costs $60. Each of these four products is worth $28, so you are essentially getting one for free.

If you’ve been wanting to try the line, then this kit is for you. I especially recommend No. 3 and No. 6, since both have genuinely been life-changing for my curly, very-bleached hair. The shampoo and conditioner are excellent, albeit less worth it than the mask and cream, especially if your hair is straight. I would recommend the shampoo and conditioner to people with very parched hair, or for people combatting frizz on curls, because the texture of both is very thick.

Give in to the hype:

Gisou Honey Infused Hair Care Set (Limited Edition)

Gisou by Negin Mirsalehi carries “honey & propolis infused haircare from the Mirsalehi Bee Garden”, to quote from their Instagram bio, which is the platform on which the brand shot to fame: every influencer has the Honey Infused Hair Oil, if not also the mask. Plus, their components are gorgeous, minimalistic and #PFG. Sephora began carrying Gisou in August, and this set gives you the opportunity to live out your influencer dreams for less. The set, with $79 value, is $55: not cheap… but that’s the price you apparently have to pay for having hair like Negin’s. The products are made for every hair type, and help primarily with moisture and shine.

Makeup

It’s been reduced to almost a quarter of the price now...

FENTY BEAUTY by Rihanna Killawatt Foil Freestyle Highlighter Palette

While these are marketed as highlighters, they’d be stunning as eyeshadows: Rihanna actually uses them for her eyes as well as her face in her demo video for the palette on Sephora’s website. This palette was in last year’s Fenty Beauty holiday collection for $54… now, it’s $15 (and, at this price, it’s limited edition). That’s just over $2 per shade, and the pans are big. Plus, it’s going to be less than $15 when the Savings Event discount is applied. If you like gorgeous shimmers as a wash of colour on your lid (very Euphoria) or as a topper for other shadows, I’d consider this palette, no matter what skin tone you have; the colours are very versatile and would look great on any complexion.

Give in to the hype:

Charlotte Tilbury Mini Filmstar Bronze & Glow Contour Duo (Limited Edition)

This duo is… so good. As is typical with Charlotte Tilbury complexion products, both the bronzer and highlighter are so flattering and give that natural-but-super-enhanced look. The bronzer especially is so unique due to its gorgeous cool tone: if you don’t like orange or warm bronzers, consider this product. Also, the SIZE! You can take it out with you (not that that’s happening just yet). Frustratingly, this bronzer shade would only work for light to medium skin tones: the full-sized duo in CT’s permanent collection does come in another slightly darker shade (called “medium-to-dark”), and hopefully they’ll also be offering that one as a mini too. The duo is $29, and don’t forget that you’re also paying for the gorgeous component!

Skincare

Save money on this cult-classic:

Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40

I’ve heard so, so many stellar reviews of this SPF. I bought it once, and really enjoyed using it until it was empty. It is colourless (great for any skin tone) and non-greasy, with no sunscreen smell. It feels a lot like a silicone-style primer, and leaves you looking quite poreless and matte, but still with a glow from within. I personally experienced some pilling when using it, so you do need to be careful with the products you layer under and over it. SPF 40 is a good choice for adequate sun protection; just make sure you use enough of it!

Give in to the hype:

ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 Foundation

It’s marketed as “foundation”, but with its formula containing squalane, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide at what the Sephora description calls “active levels of (these) ingredients”, the purpose of the product seems to be to help your skin, instead of covering it up and making it worse. (It’s worth noting, though, that The Ordinary’s niacinamide and The Inkey List’s niacinamide serum both have 10% niacinamide, whereas this serum has 2%). What attracts me to this product right off the bat is that, since wearing masks a lot stresses out the skin, makeup-skincare hybrids are more worth it than ever. The product is marketed for all skin types, including oily, but I would take a good look at the reviews and consider if it might be too dewy for you if you have combo or oily skin. I’d love to just effortlessly put this on before a Zoom: serve that I’m-not-trying-at-all-but-I-look-really-good look. The price is $46, which is not cheap by any means, but everyone seems to love ILIA now, and you might want to give it a go.